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whats the best way to disipline a 15 mt old

my son is 15 mts old and he hits, bites, trows things at me, and head butts me! is this normal, hes really smart and really sweet and very loving at times. i just cant spank him, and sayng no or putting him in the play pin( while he and i cool off) just doesnt seem to work. and he does not act this way to my husband. im a stay at home mom, but i do not want my son to control me! and we have baby #2 on the way and im scared he might hurt a newborn on accident because he so rough! any advice please!

To actually answer the question :) There are a few things you can do: Distract and redirect is going to be your most effective tool. Yes, you will spend a large part of your day moving your little one away from what he should not be doing and putting him where he can play safely, but he will learn. What he is doing now IS developmentally appropriate. When he does something physical, like the hitting and biting, gently move him away from you and say "Ouch! That hurts Mommy". For now, there's not much more that he will understand. Also - I HIGHLY recommend the books Love and Logic and 1-2-3- Magic. They apply to older kids - 1-2-3 magic starts at age 2 - but reading them now will help you prepare for what is coming. Also, 1-2-3 magic has a step-by-step guide for how to handle misbehavior. Both books encourage positive discipline and natural consequences.

place him in his crib/bed and tell himto stay there for a few minutes and if he keeps getting out keeping putting him back. I did this with my daughter about this age and it worked. Now that she's 2 it no longer works

I would continue to place him in the play pen every time he does something like that. Let him scream it out. When he calms down, you can take him out.
Be consistant and do it every single time.Good Luck!

If you can't spank him, you are in for a lot of trouble. If he's controlling you at this pace at 15 months, his teen-age years ought to be something to behold. If you don't set some boundaries as to what you will and will not tolerate in your home and then lovingly spank his bottom when he crosses them, telling him you love him too much to allow him to behave in such a bad manner, your home is going to be a terrible place in which to live. You have to teach your children to obey their parents with respect, and there is no better way to do that than by a good old fashioned Christian spanking(I say that because it's the only method of discipline sanctioned by the Bible). It also says "Honor your father and your mother so that your days may be long upon the earth." So, by not teaching your children to do that, you may actually be contributing to a shortened lifespan.

Answer by
Anonymous
at 2:19 PM on Mar. 29, 2010

Anon 2:19, what a load of hogwash. I get so frustrated when Christians post that you must spank. They seem to forget that the Bible also says the rod of your anger will fail, and this mom is obviously frustrated, and if she spanked, would do so because she was frustrated (which is a form of anger). That would not be a Biblical spanking.

I am a Christian, and I do think spanking is fine, I'm not anti spanking or anything. If you think it's the only discipline in the Bible, I suggest you do a reread.

To the Anon who posted about "Christian spanking" being the only way the Bible sanctioned discipline - -WRONG! "Spare the rod, spoil the child", if you do your research, does NOT refer to spanking - - a shepherd used his rod to guide his flock, not beat them!. And, spanking is punishment - Discipline is entirely different. Discipline means teaching what is right rather than punishing what is wrong. It is positive and loving.

PLEASE read the book "Discipline without Distress"...maybe something is really bothering your son...you need to find the ROOT of his behavior

Answer by
Anonymous
at 5:14 PM on Mar. 29, 2010

You need to ask yourself when he started acting out like this. Was it before or after you got pregnant? Was it after HE started seeing your belly growin or feeling the baby? My son was 2 when I got pregnant with our second child. He was fine with me being pregnant until he could see my belly getting bigger and feel baby moving. At that point he started to really act out with me. But was fine with Daddy. I had to start redirecting him, putting him in time out tell him NO, spank him, smack his hand, put him in his crib and let him cry it out (til lhe started climbing out of it). I was also worred about him hurting the baby. Did not happen. I hope this helps. Oh, I also had to sit down with my son and explain to him that the baby is going to be his little brother/sister and part of the family. He's NOT going to be replaced (in terms he'll understand of course).
I hope this helps

Well old school says when he bites you to bite him back... But that is old school. It works, but... As a far as being normal, its interesting that he does not do this to his father, what does dad do differently?